Most of you already know who Jay was.

Jay was a 7 year old

Dalmatian American bulldog mix found one night on a Craigslist ad during the pandemic in 2020. At the time, he was 2 years old and a WILD animal.

He needed love and a solid home, and immediately became the best dog and best friend to me and my husband.

About three months ago, Jay began having one medical issue after another, each one worse than the last. Even with pet insurance, his medical bills over that time reached more than $10,000, eventually exceeding what our policy would cover.

Just last week, on October 11th, 2025, Jay was the ring bearer at our wedding. The very next day, he let us know something wasn’t right while we were at the river, which was his favorite place. We rushed him to the emergency vet, where we learned he had an extremely aggressive cancer that had already spread to his lungs. In less than 24 hours, the disease took over his body. He could no longer breathe or walk on his own, and it was his time to go see all of his siblings in doggy heaven.

His final medical bill was much higher than we anticipated and we still owe $3,100. Any contribution — no matter how small — would mean the world to us and help bring closure to this difficult chapter.

It would mean the absolute world to us if those who were impacted by his light and presence could help.

Much love ,

The Hertels